On Being Proud Of Myself

Day 102/365: Pride should be a motivator, not a reason to get comfortable and become a total jerk

I know, pride is the tool of the weak and uneducated. I read my fair share of Seneca and Epicurus, trust me. In fact, I loved all of the Stoic writings and I do try and incorporate as much of them in my daily life. I’m currently reading the Letters and have been enjoying them every afternoon and well into the night sometimes.

Seneca talks a lot about pride and fortune and all of the things that matter a lot to people, but shouldn’t. Being proud of a possession or a skill or anything else should not be tolerated, the Stoics believe, as it brings nothing but a false feeling of happiness. And happiness can only be found within.

The thing is, last year was a tough one for me. I got through two break-ups, the sudden death of my uncle to cancer, being fired from work and being financially dead for more than 6 months.

That was my last year, in a short summary. I was a mess, a gullible and lonely guy and I struggled to stay on the floating line and not drown under my own misery. And yes, it was extremely hard to get to where I am.

But then, I decided to do something about it and I’m proud I did that thing. Deciding to work on my misery was the most important step towards getting back on track. A decision is more important than the acting upon it because without that Moment Zero, there can be no work and progress.

I somehow managed to make it work. I am simply happy with who I am now, what I do and how things have turned out. I have a fully working freelancing gig that covers all of my expenses while enjoying the freedom that working independently offers me. I have a normal life that any young adult would love to have, a good relationship with my family and friends and all of the material and spiritual possessions that I can think about.

“That which is given with pride and ostentation is rather an ambition than a bounty.” — Seneca

I know being proud of these things is not productive for me or for anyone else, but if you’re just being proud as a way to motivate you to do even greater things, then yes, you can go ahead and be proud of yourself. Remember to be proud for your own benefit, not for the publicity in the faces of others. You don’t need approval from anyone, you don’t need people to tell you if your decisions are good or bad.

You need to clearly state what you want to do, and then act on it regardless of all of the external factors, opinions and possible dangers. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished, but be proud for your own self, not for impressing or pleasing the ones around you.

P.S.: Here’s my current reading list on my Kindle. Notice the beautiful blend of Phylosophy that I actually understand, Science Fiction and yes, some crazy Roman warrior memories that thought me a ton about how to fight smart.

Thank you for your time!

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My name is Gabriel Iosa, I’m a 25 years old travel enthusiast, food lover, Psychology student, Full-time Freelancer, writer and Instagram fanatic. You can follow me @gabrieliosa, and if you liked this post, give it exactly 47 claps!

I’m on a mission to write 365 articles in 2018. This is definitely the biggest writing challenge of my life so far. If you’d like to be part of the journey, please follow me here on Medium.com for the daily posts!